These things sparked his interest in volcanoes as a young man and have motivated him to launch a new barbecue restaurant in Bay Minette as his "retirement package" this spring.

"I grew up in Bay Springs, Miss.," the Bay Minette resident said with a laugh. "I’ve got a thing for bays."

After the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens in Washington, the young Finnegan said he fell in love with volcanoes, pursuing a degree in geology at the University of Southern Mississippi.

"I wanted to be a vulcanologist, but when I graduated, there weren’t a lot of jobs in the field," he said. "I did a few things, but I eventually went back and got my education certificate at Southern Miss."

He started teaching in 1989, and is the ninth through 12th grade geology, meteorology and introductory engineering teacher at W.P. Davidson High School in Mobile. "This is my 22nd year teaching and I still enjoy getting to work and being with the kids all day," he said. "There are elements (of geology) that are rather mundane. I don’t like dirt. But get me on volcanoes and it’s a whole different story."

Finnegan has participated in several professional development trips, one on the research ship Joides Resolution off the coast of California and another at the National Center for Atmospheric Research. And he is planning a trip to Hawaii, where he hopes to witness his first volcanic eruption.

"What interests me the most is the power that the Earth can conjure up, either through an eruption or a hurricane, the power that’s spun together during those events," he said.

He also enjoys continuing his education and encourages his students to do the same.

"(On the research ship), we’d drill core samples of the ocean floor and study climate change and geological events," he said. "I got my master’s four years ago, and I’m still learning."

He’s also looking forward to retiring in a few years, once his son graduates from high school, and owning his own restaurant.

"My brother-in-law (Craig Parker) and I are always competing with barbecue. We’ve done it for years," he said. "We’re both fairly decent cooks, and collectively — with my wife — we decided we’d start a barbecue restaurant."

The trio has already scouted a location, leasing the former Frazier’s in the strip mall behind McDonald’s off Ala. 59 in Bay Minette. Their target opening date is March 1.

"We’ll have pulled pork, ribs and chicken, and for sides we’ll have stuffed baked potatoes, squash casserole and some salads," he said. "My wife is retiring from nursing and she’ll be the restaurant manager."

"We also have other family members who’ll work there."

Last year, he became a permanent Bay Minette resident after he bought a home from his brother-in-law.

"He bought another home and we bought his house," Finnegan said. "It was built in the 1950s, and it has gorgeous oak trees in the front. It’s just a beautiful place."

He looks forward to moving his work closer to home, getting involved with model railroads and continuing his travels.

"I like going to the mountains. I’m in the National Science Teachers Association and the Kansas City Barbecue Society," he said. "About the only thing we stop for is SEC football."